webster



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet'v 1.

H. A. WEBSTER.

GAR FENDER.

No. 52,942. Patented June 30, 1896.

(No Mode1.} 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. WEBSTER. GAR FENDER.

No. 562,942. Patented June 30, 1896.

(y FEEL Trl-Q6? UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HAROLD A. WEBSTER, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT B.NEVTON, OF SAME PLAGE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,942, dated .I une30, 1896.

Application filed March 30, 1896. Serial No. 585,310. (No model.)

To all whom z5 11m/y concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD A. W'EBSTER, of Haverhill, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a car-fender adapted toserve either to pick up a prostrate body or to insure the falling ofaperson, caught while standing, upon the fender without liability, ineither case, of the car passing over the body.

Tf e invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a side view of a fender embodying my inventioi inposition upon the platform of a car. Fig. 2 represents a section online2 2 of Fig. l and a plan view of the parts below said line. Fig. 3represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4.represents a sectionon line e et of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a front ele vation of theplatform and fender, the latter being in the position shown in Fig. l.Fig. 6 represents a View similar to Fig. l, showing the fender movedback. Fig. 7 represents a sectional view, the fender being in theposition shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 representsafront elevation of a portionof the fender and platform.

The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in allthe views.

In the drawings, a represents a substantially horizontal frame orsupport, which is located below and projects forward from the platform hof av car, said support being adapted to slide in guides c, affixed tothe platform. The object of a sliding connection between the support aand the body of the car is to enable the fender to be retracted underthe platform when not required for use. The side bars of the frame a areprovided with rack-teeth af, which are engaged with pinions nl?, affixedto a shaft c?, journaled in the guides c. The shaft may be rotated bymeans of a wrench or key applied to the squared end c4 or by any othersuitable means, such as sprocket-wheels a5 a and a chain a7, Fig. S, thewheel a5 being affixed to the shaft a3, while the wheel o is aiiixed toa short shaft a?, journaledin a bearing on the dasher, in position to beoperated by the motorman while he is standing on the platform. The shaftons, pinions a?, and racks a enable the fender to be moved easily in andout, without binding or sticking, both sides being moved alike.

Willen the support ceY is in position for use, its forward end projectsconsiderably in advance of the platform and of the dasher d, as shown inFigs. l and 2, said support being preferably elevated a foot orthereabout above the track.

e represents the fender, which is composed of a frame suitablyconstructed to support a human body falling against it. YThe fender ishere shown as composed of side pieces 22, a lower cross-piece 3, anupper crosspiece 4, intermediate cross-pieces 5 5, and transverse strips6 6, all being combined to form a reticulated support, the openings inwhich are sufficiently small to prevent a person from falling throughthem. It is obvious, however, that this construction maybe departed fromor modified to any desired extent, and that the construction may includea suitable marginal frame, and netting secured to the frame and coveringthe space surrounded by it.

I prefer in all cases to curve or deiiect the forward end of the fenderfrom the plane in `which its main portion stands, as shown at7 in Fig.l, to the end that the lower portion of the frame may act as a scoop totake from the ground a prostrate body which may be encountered by thefender. I also prefer to provide the forward end of the frame with aflexible extension, here shown as composed of a metal bar 8, the ends ofwhich are bent inwardly to form hinge members 9 9, iitted to turn insockets in the side pieces 2 The bent portions of the bar bear on lugsor stops l0 10 on the cross-piece 3. The bar S is flexible and serves asan elongated yielding buifer, which normally projects forward from thefender land is the first part of the fender to come in contact with anobject encountered by it. The hinges 9 9 enable the bar Sto swingupwardlyand backwardly, so that if it encounters an object on thepavement, such as IOO the toe of apersonsboot, it will rise and slideover the boot and strike the ankle or leg above the foot, thus causingthe person to fall over upon the fender. If the bar 8 strikes a projecting paving-stone presenting an inclined surface, it will rise untilit has passed over such stone, and will then descend to its normalposition. The fender is provided at its forward end with a series ofdownwardly and rearwardly projecting elastic feet 18, which are arrangedto strike the track or road-bed and serve as runners or buffers toprevent the forward portion of the fender from striking and beingengaged by projections on the pavement when the forward portion of thefender is depressed by the weight thrown upon it or by the oscillatingmovements of the car. In either event the feet 13 support the forwardend of the fender above the track, and in their effort to assume theirnormal position force the forward portion of the fender upwardly, thefeet sliding over any projections on the ypavement that would be likelyto arrest the fender.

The fender is pivotally connected with the support c by means of a rodf, extending across the support, and sockets f f', arranged at or nearthe center of the length of the fender, the arrangement being such thatthe forward end of the fender, having the described elastic extension,is in advance of the hinges formed by the rod f and sockets f', whilethe opposite end is at the rear of said hinges.

The fender normally stands in the inclined position shown in Fig. l andby full lines in Fig. 2, its forward end, which overbalances the rearend, being in close proximity to the track and its opposite end beingconsiderably' raised.

lVhen the fender encounters a prostrate body on the track, its lowerportion acts to pick up the body and carry it along without seriousinjury, such as would result from forcible propulsion of the body whileresti-ng on the pavement, the lower end of the fender being in suchproximity to the pavement that it will find its way under rather thanover a human body lying on the pavement. The flexible extension orbuffer at the forward portion of the fender minimizes the'injury to thebody encountered, as will be readily seen, and projects downwardly. insuch position as to readily insert itself between the pavement anda bodylying thereon. The elastic feet 13 prevent the body of the fender andthe ilexible buffer from rubbing against the pavement when the fender iscaused to sag by ward portion, said feet sliding along the pavement andtending to raise the forward portion of the fender from the pavementwhen the weight is removed from it.

lVhen the fender encounters a standing person, the buffer first acts totrip the person and cause him to fall backwardly against the fender,which is proportioned so that the against the track. as a pair of rods ss, pivoted at s to the side pieces of the fender and provided with openhooks or slots s2 at their rear ends, which ein gage and are adapted tomove upon eyes aflixied to the support a.

main weight of the person will be at the rear of the hinges, thuscausing the fender to swing to a substantially horizontal position. itsforward portion being raised. The person thus caught is thereforeprevented from injury and carried along in safety until the car can bestopped.

A stop is provided to limit the downward swinging motion of the fenderon its pivots or hinges with relation to the support a, so that when thesupport is at its normal height from the track or pavement the lower ender the fender will be slightly separated from the pavement, but will besufficiently low to enable Vit to pick up instead of passing over aprostrate body. The support is constructed to permit an upward-swingingmovement of the lower end of the fender, so that it can yield or reboundif brought in contact with the pavement by an oscillating movement ofthe ear, thus preventing the possibility of damage to the fender in easeit is forced down The stop is here shown When the support c is at itsnormal height above the track, the

' hooks s2 bear against the eyes s3 and prevent the front end yof thefender from swinging downwardly; but when the fender strikes thepavement the hooks slide back on the eyes s3 and permit the rebound oryielding movement of the lower end of the fender, this .movement beingfacilitated by the elastic shoes.

e It is obvious that any other suitable arrangement of stop devices .maybe provided for the purpose described, such as flexible strapsconnecting the fender with the support.

I elai1n l. The combination of a frame or support i projecting forwardfrom the car-platform and a fender pivotally connected to said supportwith its center of gravity forward of its pivotal point and adapted toswing from an inclined position with its forward end in close proximityto the track, to a substantially horizontal position with its forwardend elevated. stop mechanism independent of the car-track and carried bythe frame or support for limitin g the downward movement of the forwardend of the fender and having provision for permitting a rebounding orupward-yielding movement of said end, and means for retiring the fenderand its frame or support and i stop mechanism under the platform. theweight of a body supported upon its for- 2. The combination of a frameor support projecting forward from the car-platform and a fenderpivotally connected to said support with its center of gravity forwardof its pivetal point and adapted to swing from an inclined position withits forward end in close proximity to the track, to asubstantiallyhorizontal position with its forward end elevated. stopmechanism independent of the car-track IOS IIO

and carried by the frame or support for limiting the downward movementof the forward end of the fender and having provision for permitting arebounding or upward-yielding movement of said end, means for retiringthe fender and its frame or support and stop mechanism under theplatform and a series of resilient feet or runners projecting downwardlyfrom the forward end of the fender.

8. A ear-fender comprising a frame or support pivotally connectedbetween its front and rear edges to a support on the car and having itsforward portion curved or deflected from the plane of the body of thefender, and a iexible extension or buffer projecting from said forwardportion and comprising a bar ex- HAROLD A. WEBSTER.

XVitnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, A. D. ADAMS.

